How old is to old to get circumcised?

Judith - posted on 08/07/2012

The only thing I can say is don't listen to anyone who tells you not to wait and to cut him now. A male can get circumcised at any age, but it needs to be his choice. If you've been retracting him to clean under his foreskin, that is probably why he has problems. No one but the male himself should ever retract. He's probably sore due to rips and/or adhesions. These do heal though, and I've heard of steroid cream and different kinds of oils. Surgery is always the last resort!!

Cara - posted on 08/04/2012

My husbands culture does it at 7 years old as a becoming a mantype of thing. He was done at 9. It's a hospital surgery when it's done at that age.

Amy - posted on 08/03/2012

What do you mean by cleaning it? Are you trying to retract his foreskin? You should never pull back on his foreskin to 'clean' in there. Your son should be the only one pulling on his penis. Some boys aren't retractable until the age of 10. Do you do bubble baths? If you do make sure that you are having him rinse very well. Excess soap residue can cause issues down there.

Is he still in diapers? If you do cloth diapers you might need to add a second rinse to your routine. If you use disposables the chemicals in them could have started irritating his penis. Do you give him naked time other than bath time to touch himself when you aren't around? I know it sounds strange but it's completely normal for boys to touch themselves and that is how intact boys naturally retract their skin.

There is really no true reason to have to get a boy circumcised with the exception of a birth defect preventing urination. Eighty percent of the world's males have intact penises with no issues resulting in having to be circumcised. When our daughters get infections we don't automatically call for surgery down there.

I think you should try to find what is causing him pain... pain is a symptom caused by something that has been done to his penis. Could he have a UTI? Have you taken him to the doctor? Don't let the doctor retract his foreskin. Retracting a child before they are ready causes all sorts of pain and problems.

I would suggest finding an intact friendly and educated doctor. Also, if it is a UTI there are other options besides antibiotics that are much nicer for his body. Cranberry With D-Mannose is very effective. UTIs are usually caused by bacteria found in the bowels so make sure you are wiping him thoroughly after he passes stool. If he had a cut anywhere on his body bacteria could have gotten into the bloodstream and found it's way to the urinary tract. People with immune systems that are compromised are more likely to get UTIs (I use to get them frequently (I have Lupus) until I started taking the D-Mannose). When I was a child I got UTIs all the time from horseback riding. Please don't think that is a reason to put your son through a major surgery.

http://www.nocirc.org/publish/pamphlet7....
http://www.drmomma.org/2010/01/basic-car...
http://www.drmomma.org/2009/06/how-to-ca...
http://www.drmomma.org/2010/01/phony-phi...
http://www.drmomma.org/2011/12/urine-sam...

Emily - posted on 08/02/2012

My son is turned 3 in April this year and i tell him now that he is potty trained that when he goes to the restroom he should pull his skin back just like the Dr had told me. when i try it when he is taking a bath he complains just like your son for me not to touch it. Im seriously thinking of getting him circumcised my Dad got his at 69 and it was so painful he couldnt even walk. I belive that the younger the better. Also it is proven that boys that get circumcised at a young age are least to have a STD when they get older.

Diamond - posted on 10/23/2011

this is why circumcision is better in the end because of problems like this. Im sure if you take him to the doctor they'll treat it but it just proves why circumcision prevents these kinds of problems.

Carolyn - posted on 08/12/2011

Hi there- I wouldn't look into circumcision as a first option. How are you cleaning it? You shouldn't be pulling his foreskin back- that can cause problems. Just wash the outside of it. Now I'm not a doctor and I can't give you medical advice, just suggestions on what it might be. I would suspect he might have trauma from having his foreskin retracted, and if he hasn't been retracted I would suspect his foreskin might be separating from the glans, which can sometimes be uncomfortable in some boys, but is not a problem. He also might have a urinary tract infection, which should be diagnosed and treated by a doctor. I realize that you posted this in January so my advice is probably moot, but wanted to give you this information anyway.



OK, so I just saw you updated with information about his circumcision. So while my advice is no longer applicable, perhaps it will help someone else in a similar situation someday.

Jodie - posted on 08/01/2011

my 4 year old son has just been circumcised today. this is something i most certainly didn't want. but unfortunately in my sons case this was the only option. my son is in alot of pain and i have to be honest wouldn't but any child through that unless this was the only option . my son was in alot of pain when weeing and as a mother seeing your child with tears in there eyes because it hurts so much is heart breaking .

i was told this will correct it and time will tell, but its alot to put a child through and its horrible seeing my boy in so much pain right now but once everything has calmed down things will be alot more easier for him.

reading some of the other comments, I don't agree with just doing it for the sake of doing it, but if the child is in pain and getting infections then I agree with getting the circumcised .

At the end of the day nobody knows what's best for there child more then there own parents and we should not be judged by others for doing what we think is right !!!! especially when you don't know the situation or have a child that has this problem. because I cannot believe that any mother can sit back and watch there child in pain when urinating and not get help for there child .

LaCi - posted on 01/19/2011

Difficult things to clean on my toddler:

Front teeth.
Hair.
Ears.
Boogies.


penis? not so much. If you can wipe his ass you can wipe his penis. It's really not that freakin' difficult. I'm not opting for a colostomy to avoid cleaning his butt or anything. And the things that ARE difficult to clean? I hold him down with one arm and two legs and clean it. Because that's my job.

Krista - posted on 01/19/2011

Brandi, using that logic, then we should also get all of our children's teeth pulled as soon as they appear, because they don't let you brush their teeth, and they don't do it well themselves.

Brandi - posted on 01/18/2011

Hmm this is a very hard subject for alot of people. I use to watch a boy he was 5 when he got circumcised. Let me tell you that was the hardest thing that a little boy had to go through. He was in pain for so long could barely move or pee. It is so much better to get them done when they are young around 1 month of age or before. I had my son done at 1 week, I watched the whole thing and he never cried or anything he slept through the whole procedure. Boys are tend to get more infections when there not circumcised cuz they do not know to pull back the foreskin and clean.Alot of parents dont do it or the child will not let them do it, Kinda like brushing there teeth they dont let you sometimes. Why put your child at risk for infections when you can prevent them.

LaCi - posted on 01/07/2011

Hm. I think those doctors were confusing a penis with a tonsil.

Rebecca - posted on 01/07/2011

Wrong, wrong, wrong, Amanda! An infant has the greatest amount of skin adhered to the glans because the glans and foreskin are fully adhered in a newborn (just like your fingernail is adhered to your nailbed). As the boy ages, the foreskin and glans slowly separate, so that by the time the boy hits puberty, the foreskin has fully separated. Obviously the doctors at your hospital are very uneducated about intact penises and certainly shouldn't be giving advice about caring for them.
The only reason people think circumcision is "harder" on an older boy is because an older boy can COMPLAIN about the excruitating pain an infant experiences when being circumcised, therefore, doctors and parents can't just discount the operation as being "just a little snip" with an older boy. Research has shown over and over again that circumcision causes intolerable levels of pain and that infants are actually MORE sensitive to pain.
This boy is not having "problems" -- he has A problem, most likely a minor yeast infection that can be treated with nystain or a UTI that can be treated with antibiotics. Would you remove your vagina because you had ONE yeast infection over the course of over approximately 4 years? Of course not. Secondly, it's completely false that intact boys are "prone" to UTIs. Certainly, they are no more prone to UTIs than little girls (which frequently have UTIs). Would you be recommending surgery for a girl who has one UTI?

Amanda - posted on 01/07/2011

the longer you wait the harder it will be on him. I work in a hospital that does circs and every doctor i have spoken too said that the older they are the more tissue there is thats adhered to the head of the penis. therefore they have to put the child under anesthesia, and they it tend to be more painful afterwords. They say that boys who dont get circed tend to be prone to urinary track infections, and other problems later when they are older. IF i were you i would do it asap. especially since he is having problems now. But wait till you get the infection under control. talk to your doc about your options. It just may be in your best interest to just get him circumcised. But it entirely up to you

Amy - posted on 01/06/2011

I would also take him to the doctor's and make sure the foreskin is not being forced back.I also say circumcision is not the answer. My daughter had a UTI when she was around 3 and also said it hurt to pee. Obviously not the same gender, but we just took her to the doctor and she got better. It is not comfy when it hurts, but cutting it off is sure going to hurt worse, imo. Although if it's too old.....A man can choose to have it done at any age in his life. a 50 year old man can choose to. there is no age, but it's not always the answer.

Christine - posted on 01/06/2011

This is a very controvercial topic, but I would just like to say that if you want to get your son circumcised, there is nothing wrong with that. It is a personal choice, so do not let other people's opinions effect your decision. My two boys are circumcised, and so is my husband and none of them have to worry about foreskin problems or infections. It was a personal decision for our family. I have cared for children who are not circumcised as well as children who are and I personally found it easier not having to worry about the foreskin issues. This is my personal opinion. I think every parent has the right to do what they think is best for their child without facing harsh criticism.

Krista - posted on 01/05/2011

I agree with Rebecca. In no other situations do we recommend amputation for a simple infection. Bring him to a doctor and get him looked at. It's likely something that can be cleared up quite quickly with some antibiotics.

Maritsa - posted on 01/05/2011

Its never too old to get circumcised but the sooner he gets it the better. My Dad was never circumcised until a couple of years ago and he tells us the the horror he was put through. So dont wait too long.

Rebecca - posted on 01/05/2011

Take him to the doctor! I would guess he has an infection (could be yeast, could be a urinary tract infection, etc). Circumcision is not the solution. Both my sons are intact and one was making similar complaints about 3 months ago. Simple doctor's visit showed he had a very mild urinary tract infection, which was treated with antibiotics. He was better within 48 hours and hasn't had a problem since. There is no reason to circumcise a child based on one infection. Little girls get infections all the time and no one recommends removing their baby bits as the first form of treatment. Definitely take him right away -- if it's a urinary tract infection and you don't treat it, he could develop a kidney infection, which is much more severe.

LaCi - posted on 01/05/2011

This is probably due to an infection, and circumcision is probably not the treatment. Take him to the doctor. He could have any number of infections, UTI, yeast infection, etc. There are MANY reasons he could be having painful urination.

Jen - posted on 01/05/2011

im sorry to be blunt but he could have a water infection i hope him in pain is not the only reason u want this done to him n i wud talk to him about it at his age his going to know something up.this is just veiw i dont agree messing with boys bits they was born tht way n shud stay tht way until its there own choice.